Multitemperature refrigerator



MayZU, 1947. F. D. PELTIER 2,420,971

MULTI -TEMPERATURE REFRIGERATOR Filed Dec. 31, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet l yIS/4 :P11955 wwvw v May 26, 947 F. D. PELTIER MULTI-TEMPERATUREREFRIGERATOR Filed DeG. 3l, 1943 5 Sheets-Shee(l 2 y als @rae ay 20,1947. F. D. PELTu-:R

MULTI-TEMPERATURE REFRIGERATOR Filed Dec. 5l, 1943 5 SheeiS-Sheetl f5 I211% f Emi D-Peer May 20, 1947. F. D. PELTIER MULTI-TEMPERATUREREFRIGERATOR Filed Dec. 31, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 May 20, 1947. F. D.PELTIER MULTI-TEMPERATURE REFRIGERATOR Filed De. 3l, 1943 5Sheets-Shea?l 5 zgier s 7214931; #wm Mdo?! Patented May 20, 1947 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE MULTITEMPERATURE REFRIGERATOR Application December31, 1943, Serial No. 516,521

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to mechanical refrig'- v erators, moreparticularly of the horizontal topaccess type and to an improvedevaporator for such refrigerators.

Refrigerators of this type usually employ evaporatcrs of thecoldwalltype, that is, the coils of the evaporator are wrapped aroundthe out side of the metallic liner or shell of the food storagecompartment of the box. 'I'his type of construction has been foundundesirable by reason primarily of service'dilculties arising from thefact that the whole of said liner or shell must be removed to gainaccess when necessary to the evaporator coils. When, as is customary inthe aforesaid coldwall construction, the tubing of the evaporator isbonded to the -liner or shell, a repair job frequently becomes a majoroperation.

Another disadvantage of the prior coldwal1" system resides in itsrelative unadaptability to the desirable multicompartment differentialtemperature form of refrigerator designed to maintain a number ofindividual compartments at different temperatures best suited toparticular requirements.

With these premises in mind, the present invention contemplates theprovision in a refrigerator of the stated type, of an evaporator whichserves to divide the food storage space into a number of individualcompartments and which at the same time supplies the means forcontrolled cooling of the various compartments to desired temperatures,thereby providing adequate means for both freezing and storing varioustypes oi food.

Another object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator of thestated type wherein the evaporator constitutes an element of Aa packagetype refrigerating unit which may readily be removed for servicing orreplacement without major disturbance of the cabinet structure.

The invention resides further in certain structural details andarrangements hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a horizontal topaccess refrigeratorhaving an evaporator constructed and arranged in accordance with theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View 'of the refrigerator, taken on line2-2 of Fig. ll, showing the evaporator mounted therein, and with thedoor in closed position;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 2;

(ci. sz-99) 2 'Fig'. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 showing amodified form of the invention, and

' Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5, Fig. 4.

Referring more particularly to Figures l and 2 .of the drawings, whichshow the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral I0designates a horizontal top-access refrigerator comprising a cabinet IIhaving a .closure lid or door I2. The cabinet II includes an outer shellI3 which terminates at the top in a depending angular portion I4 formingan internal. shoulder for cooperation with the lid l2, as hereinafterdescribed. The cabinet also comprises an inner liner or receptacle I5.which invaccordance withl the present invention is formed of a metal,such as aluminum, having a high heat conducting capacity. f

The upperedge Iii of a combination gasket an breaker strip Il is engagedwith the upper surface of the horizontal flange I8 of the angularportion I4 of the outer shell, and the depending lower edge I9 of thestrip is attached yto the vertical rim portion 2II of the liner I5, bymeans, for example, of screws 2|, the said liner` being thereby ineifect suspended by said strip from the outer shell. While thiscombination gasket and breaker strip Il may be of any suitable design,the type shown and described in the copending application Serial No.516,475 is preferred.

Suitable insulating material 22 illls the space between the outer shellI3 and the sides 23 of the inner liner .I-5, and insulating material |24is supported beneath the bottom wall 25 of said liner by a horizontalpartition or pan 26 the edges of which are secured to the outer shellI3l as by welding or other suitable means. 4

The pan 26 forms the top wall of a compartment 2I within which is housedthe usual motoreompressor unit 28, which may be of the hermeticallysealed type, together with a refrigerant condenser 29, the saidcondenser and the motor-compressor preferably being removably mounted asa unit on transverse brackets 29a the ends of which are fastened to theshell I3.

The lid I2 is attached by hinges 30 to the depending portion I of theshell I3, and preferably is of the plug type, so that when the lid isclosed the outer surface 3| thereof will be substantially flush with theupper edges 32 of cabinet walls, while the body of the lid will projectinto the interior of the cabinet to a point adjacent to the offset upperedge portion 33 of the liner. To

3 this end the lid is formed with a projecting nange portion 34 whichseats upon the terminal flange .I8 of the shell and cooperates with thegasket portion I6 of the combination gasket and breaker strip I1 toestablish an air-tight and leak-proof joint between .they lid and thecabinet walls.

Extending transversely across the bottom -wall 25 of the inner liner isa .pair` of spaced ridges or dams" 35 formed preferably by upwardlypressed portions of the said wall as shown in Fig. 3, but which may beformed byinverted vshaped` inserts welded or otherwise secured to thesaid bottom wall. Between these ridges I and Vresting on the bottom wall2l poi the liner is a substantially U-shaped evaporator 36 which may beof any desired type, but is herein illustrated as of parallel feed type.

The side walls 31 anda bottom wall 38 of the evaporator extend from onewall 39 of the inner liner to the opposite wall 40 thereof. The saidside walls 31`alsoextend upwardly into close proximity to the door I 2when the latter is closed,

and thereby effectively divide the space within the liner into aplurality oi compartments, in this embodiment two end compartments A andB,

and an vintermediate compartment C. In this y embodiment, also, theevaporator'forms one wall of each of the end compartments A and B andtwo of the side walls and the bottom wall of the compartment C.' Thevertical edges 4I of the evaporator 38 which abut the walls 39 and 40 ofthe inner liner II are provided each with a ange 42 for `fastening theevaporator, as by screws 43.

to the said walls in intimate heat conducting v relation therewith.

An Aoutwardly flaring skirt 44 is provided at the bottom of each sidewall 31 of the evaporator, and these skirts, in eil'ect, form saddleswith the adjoining lower edge portions ofthe walls which straddle' thedams 35 and' function to direct any drip water, caused by defrosting orotherwise, away from the bottom 58 of the evaporator and into thebottoms of the end compartments A and B. The dams 85 provide a means forrapidly and accurately positioning the evaporator with respect'to theliner during assembly, and also for retaining moisture, which maycollect in the bottoms of the tank compartments A and B, out of contactwith the evaporator. A waterproofing compound 45 is preferably placedbetween the bottom 38 ofthe evaporator 38 and the bottom wall of theliner, and between the aforesaid saddles and the dams 35 to positivelyprevent water from collecting beneath the evaporator where it mightfreeze and cause damage.

The refrigerating system-illustrated is of the capillary control typeand comprises the motorcompressor 28 which discharges into the condenser29. From the condenser liquid refrigerant passes' to a capillary tube46, which extends upwardly `in a groove 41 at the back of the cabinetand through a recess 48 at the top of the rear wall to the interior ofthe receptacle I5 and downwardly through a channel 49 on the rear wallof the receptacle to a feeding header 38a n-the bottom wall 38 of theevaporator 36, which header parallels the side walls 31 of theevaporator. The evaporated vrefrigerant is collected in a pair of returnheaders 50, 50 located at the tops of the side walls 31 of theevaporator and returns to the compressor through a common suction line5I which extends through the recess 48 and groove 41 in heat-exchangerelation with the tube 46. A temperature control knob is shown at 52 onthe front'wall of the cabinet, see Figure 1, and may be associated witha suitable temperature control means, not shown.

The groove 41 is preferably closed by a detachable strip plug 41aindicated in broken lines in Figj 3; and a detachable plug 48a ofsimilar type normally closes the recess 48 over the tubes which passtherethrough. The channel member 49 is also detachably secured againstthe rear wall of the receptacle. The tubes 46 and 5I are exible so thatwhen the plugs 41a and 48a, and channel 48 are removed, the compressorunit and condenser rnay be withdrawn from its compartment and theevaporator, after release of the screws 43. may then be lifted from thereceptacle while still in connection' with the compressor and condenserumts.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a modified embodi-x ment of the invention. Inthis case, also, the refrigerator comprises a cabinet 55 including anouter shell 56 and an inner' liner or receptacle 51. Unlike thepreviously described embodiment of thelinvention, the lower edge 58 ofthe outer shell 55 terminates at the pan 59 which, as in the preferred.embodiment, supports the insulation 80 at the underside of the liner 51.Jointly supporting the cabinet 55 is a motor-compressor housing 8l andan angular support member 62.

In this embodiment, the evaporator B3 is of the single plate type andforms an integral part of a package unit"'which includes themotor-compressor 64 and condenser 65, the coils of the latter beingsecured against the inside of the motorcompressor housing 6I. Theevaporator 6I. is mounted directly upon an insulating plug B6 carried bythe housing 6I, and the plugis designed to snugly fit and -to close anelongated opening or slot G1 in the bottom wall 68 of the cabinet 55. tothereby complete the insulating shield 50 of the said bottom wall.

The evaporator 63, which may be of any desired type, has anges 69extending outwardly at right anglestherefrom, through which theevaporator may be fastened tothe side walls 10 of the inner liner 51 bymeans, for example, of screws 1I.

Corresponding ilanges 12 at the bottom of the evaporator underlie theedge portions 13 of the inner liner which bound the opening 61, throughwhich the evaporator is admitted to the interior of the receptacle 51,and gaskets 14 inserted between the anges 12 and the edge portions 13and seal the joint between these elements. The tubes 15 and 16 whichconnect the evaporator to the compressor 64 and condenser 65 extend inthis instance through the plug 66, so that when the screws 1I arereleased the cabinet 55 may be lifted trolle'd cooling of the saidcompartments. -In

the embodiment illustrated in Figs. l, 2 and 3, the evaporator alsoserves to form within the receptacle a centrally disposed lowtemperature or freezing compartment, while the end compartments arecooled to a lesser degree and in part by conduction .through the metalwalls of the receptacle. It is evident that the evaporator may readilybe removed from association with the cabinet, or vice versa, while stillmaintaining connection with the other elements of the package unit.

It will be understood further that the apparatus described and shownherein, including the configuration of the several parts thereof, ismerely illustrative of the inventive principles involved, and that theseprinciples may nd physical embodiments Within the scope of the claimswithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A refrigerator comprising an outer shell, an inner liner within andin spaced relation to said shell and having a bottom and side Walls,said bottom wall having transverse dam members, and a substantiallyU-shaped evaporator having outwardly aring flange portions at the bottomof each vertical side wall thereof and forming with the latter saddlesfor straddling said dam members thereby to provide means for rapidly andaccurately positioning said evaporator in-the liner.

2. A refrigerator comprising an outer shell, an inner liner within andin spaced relation to said shell and having a bottom and side walls,said bottom wall having transverse dam members, a substantially U-shapedevaporator, and means associated with said evaporator and cooperatingwith said dam members for directing liquids flowing from the walls ofsaid evaporator away from the latter.

3. A horizontal top-access refrigerator comprising an outer shell, afood storage receptacle within and in spaced relation to said shell, anda substantially U-shaped evaporator dividing said receptacle into anintermediate compartment of low temperature and two end compartments ofrelatively higher temperature wherein said evaporator forms at least onewall of the two end compartments and two walls and the bottom of theintermediate compartment.

4. A refrigerator comprising a base structure, a cabinet detachablysupported in elevated position on said structure and having an openingin the bottom, refrigerating apparatus in the form of a unit packageincluding compressor and condenser elements mounted in the basestructure independently of the cabinet and an evaporator located in theinterior of the cabinet, said opening affording access for theevaporator to said interior, and a plug on said structure at the base ofthe evaporator and cooperating with the cabinet to seal said opening.

5. A horizontal top-access refrigerator comprising an outer shell, ametal inner shell forming a food storage receptacle within and in spacedrelation to said shell, and a substantially U- shaped evaporator mountedin said receptacle with its U-sha-ped end edges in contactA respectivelywith opposite side walls of the receptacle so as to divide the latterinto an intermediate compartment of low temperature and two endcompartments of relatively higher temperature, wherein said evaporatorforms at least one wall of the two end compartments and two walls andthe bottom of the intermediate compartment.

6. A refrigerator comprising an outer casing. an inner liner of hightherma1 conductivity mounted within and in spaced relation to saidcasing, and a substantially U-shaped evaporator located generallycentrally of the inner liner and dividing the space within said linerinto a zone of relatively low temperature and two zones of highertemperature, said evaporator having direct thermal transfer contact withthe liner along at least a portion of its U-shaped edges whereby heatabsorbed by the liner may pass freely by conduction to said evaporator.

7. A refrigerator comprising an outer casing, an inner liner of highthermal conductivity mounted within and in spaced relation to saidcasing, and an evaporator having edge portions in direct contact withsaid liner whereby heat absorbed by the liner may pass freely byconduction to the evaporator, said inner liner and evaporator beingprovided with intermating elements constituting positioning meansfacilitating assembly of said evaporator within the liner.

FRANK D. PELTIER.

'REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the I'lle ofthis patent:

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